Butterfly Eyes
by AnnaMaire H
Summary: It's kind of got a Cinderella theme to it. Erika is a servent to her stepmother and stepsister. Then she meets Page Dom who is more that he seems


**I hope you like it!!! It's called Butterfly Eyes. If you read you will see why!!**

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Erika

"Always wear your glass shoes, where ever you go. They could save your life, bring you happiness, even love. They can help you in a time of need," her mother said, laying on her deathbed. "Promise me you will always wear them."

"I promise, Mother. I will always wear them."

A distant memory was all it was. The worst of them all. She never really knew her mother. She died before she really could remember. She only remembered promising to wear those shoes. That's all she remembered of her mother. Erika, now a girl of seventeen, was with her stepmother, Madam Carp, and stepsister, Alice. Madam Carp was what you would say, evil looking. The thin, tall body and sharp features, with graying hair, thin lips, and black eyes. Alice was a look of normal beauty, green eyes, blond hair, and a slightly plump body. Erika, on the other hand, was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous eyes that didn't have a color for they changed the entire time, small nose, full lips, chestnut hair, and a slender body. This, like in every fairy book, made the steps jealous. They thought work would make her ugly, but it did not.

They were on their way to King Andrew's castle, which was a couple days away. They were invited by Prince Dominic, who was looking for a wife.

"Erika, come and get the bags. Come on we don't have all day, if you don't hurry there will be no supper for you, girl." Madam Carp said, sounding annoyed. "Any how, you have to get Alice ready for her supper with the company where we are staying with in this inn tonight."

"I must look beautiful for tonight to make a good impression. These people are good friends with the king. Isn't that right, Mama?" whined Alice. "I want to wear my pink and purple silk gown with the puffy sleeves. And my hair shall be curled and twisted into a bun. Also I want my white slippers with the pink bows to be polished and my gold necklace with the pink jewel to be, too."

After the dinner and all was cleaned and put away, there seemed to be a problem. For Alice had seen a mouse and spilled her late night tea on her silk night gown, pink no doubt.

"Erika, Erika go get the mouse catcher and a silk cleaner. Now, or it will be trouble for you!" Alice screamed.

Erika ran out the door and happened to see a handsome page in a red and gold suit and hat.

"Wait, page boy, stop please." Erika said in hast. "Do you know where the mice catcher and dress cleaner is?"

The page bowed, smiled and said, "Follow me, milady."

Erika felt heat rushing to her face for no one had called her that and the page was very handsome with black hair and brown eyes. As they entered the commons area every one seemed to be getting up to bow or something. The page boy, behind Erika's back, was panicking motioning to stop.

"Is that him?" one asked then saw the page. "Nope, but he does look like someone." Then he sat back down.

"Um, what was that about?" Erika asked. It was odd for people to do that.

"Oh that, nothing, people are just sometimes crazy. They think that we were somebody else, most likely." Then, changing his attention to the man at the register said "Is the mice catcher here or the dress cleaner?"

"Oh, yes sir they're both here, but it will be a while in the meantime, would you like some thing else?"

The page then wrote something down on a piece of paper and showed it to the man. Erika tried to see what it said but missed it. The man then checked a book and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry but they are available. My mistake. He." He said laughing nervously. "I'll send them right up Miss ..?"

"Send them to Madam Carp's room, please." Erika said. She looked down at her shoes. The same one's every day. Maybe she could run away, they might help. What did her mother say about them? Oh yes "They can help you in a time of need," that's what she said.

"Hello, milady, could you tell me your name?" the page boy asked plopping himself be side her on the steps out side.

"Erika and yours?"

"Dom, nice shoes you have. Glass?" She nodded.

"Erika, get up here at once. Erika girl get up here this instant, you lazy oaf!" Madam Carp yelled out the window so that every one could hear.

"It looks like we are more alike. We both have duties." Dom said.

"You chose yours," Erika stated back, running inside.

He wished he could tell her, only if she knew he didn't choose his. He could talk to her again. Maybe she had a break day from Madam Carp and her daughter. What was it again, oh yes Alice. Horrible girl, ugly, too he thought. He didn't know why any one would marry her. And Madam Carp, who did marry her, was out of their minds. With a sharp chin, small eyes, and thin lips, like a snake. But Erika, she was wow, perfect beauty. With her clothes being plain made her face stand out more. Only a couple more days. But now he had a plan. He got up, went to Madam Carp's room and knocked. He hoped it would work.

"Yes?" some one said.

"Um, I need a girl named uh, Erika? For the rest of the day I do believe, someone wants her." Dom said.

"Whose orders?" Carp asked.

"My knight, milady."

"Humph" was all she said.

"Oh and tell her to wear old clothes, please," he said. He was going to make sure Erika had some fun in her life. Well he could take care of it later but she seemed to need it now.

"So, where are we going?" she asked. "Oh my gosh, are you kidnapping me!"

"No, and you will see," he said laughing.

As they entered the town about lunch time, she smelled bread and she remembered she didn't have breakfast. She heard her stomach rumble and it was loud. Dom started laughing.

"Food it is first then. Larry, two?" he said.

Larry the baker's son tossed him two packages. Dom handed one to Erika and bit in to the bread with pizza inside. He looked at Erika's aqua eyes, wasn't they brown yesterday? Only if she knew what duties he had. He could tell her who he really was, right now. But that could ruin every thing. His mind was a constant battle tell her, don't tell her, tell her she wouldn't mind, don't tell her it would ruin everything you planed. It didn't help that they was at war with another country. Fight, don't fight, fight don't be a coward, don't fight you are needed here you could die in war. Also another one that goes like, you love her, you don't love her, you love so tell her, you don't love Erika it's a lie don't tell her something that's not true.

The truth was that he couldn't tell her who he was and he couldn't fight, he was needed here and he did love her. Tell her, tell her, don't tell, don't tell. He couldn't tell her he was in love with her, no, she would run off because he only talked to her for one day. He would tell her later.

He was really handsome she thought. The title didn't matter who cares if the person was a page or a prince, a commoner or a common knight. Oh yea Madam Carp and Alice would. A common person was to low for them and so was a page or a squire. Kings, princes, knights, lords, dukes, earls, counts any of those would be the only ones that they would marry. So why did Madam marry my father? Oh yea his brother was a count. That's right. It didn't matter if the person was a common man or a page her mind told her. It didn't matter if she liked the page, he couldn't like her. He had better things to do like become a knight and earn a title with land and money. Not like a common person and maid who didn't get paid. She liked the name Dom. It was short, simple, sweet, and it fit him.

"So you ready to have some fun and explore?" Dom asked, pulling her out of her daydreams. Which involved him and her and Madam Carp and Alice in a far away prison while her and Dom was living happily ever after.

"Huh? Oh yea sure."

They explored town, the woods, and shops. He found a little stone in the road and took it to the silver smith who made it into a necklace. Then he gave Erika the necklace and said:

"Wear it all the time so that I will recognize you if I see you again."

When the day had ended they went back to the Inn. There two knights was there to talk to Dom. He told her he would be just one minute. When he came back he had to tell her something.

"My father needs me. I was supposed to stay another week but I have to go at sunrise. Meet me at the front tomorrow milady Butterfly Eyes, an hour before?"

She nodded trying to hold back tears that came from nowhere. He cupped her face and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. They had become very close friends during that week and she had told him everything about her life and he understood her. It was hard to lose some one like that who seemed to know what you where going though. A part of it was that she loved him more than a friend.

She didn't sleep that night. She was afraid she would miss dawn, she checked the clock. An hour before sunrise. She put on some warm clothes and brushed her hair. Her window in her room was close to the front, but it was second story with nothing to climb down. She would have to go down the stairs. When she got there he was waiting on her.

"Look I want to say I'm sorry, about leaving so soon. I don't want to leave, but the prince wants to see me and it's complicated, at best. I have grown fond of you over the week." Fond, crazy is more like it. "There are some things that I want to tell you but I can't, like I said it's complicated. I will never forget you, Butterfly Eyes, because I'm well, I'm in love with you." It was over he had told her after all that debating in his head. All he had to do was one thing and that was to kiss her. He brought his head down lower until his lips meet her nose. It was too soon to kiss her lips.

"Dom lets go we'll be late."

Dom pulled her into him and she put her head on his shoulder. His shoulder was wet and he realized she was crying.

"I have to go," was all he said and as he was riding his horse Dom stole a last glance at her just standing there her face wet.

She made her way back up the stairs. He had left and told her he loved her. How lucky was she. I probably will never see him again, Erika thought. The prince, that's he has to see the prince _and the prince is at the castle,_ thought as it dawned on her.Only if she got there in time. She had to get Madam Carp and Alice to get there earlier.

"Erika, we are leaving early to the palace. Pack up." Madam Carp said. Well so much for that plan. Madam was making it happen for her. Only if she knew what she was doing for Erika. The palace was only a hour away so they got there pretty soon but it takes a while to get in. It only took thirty minutes to get in and when they did they was immediately announced. Erika also asked a guard a question.

"Is a page by the name of Dom here?" she asked. The man told her no there was no page by the name of Dom.

"Prince Dominic, wake up. Now presenting Madam Carp and her daughter Miss Alice and also with their maid, Erika."

"Erika?" he asked when they got in the thrown room. "Erika! It's me Butterfly Eyes. I'm, well, remember me?"

"Dom? Page boy! Your Prince Dominic!" this was too much.

He got up, smiling, bowed and said, "Yes, milady."

It was too much. He ran to her and kissed her on the lips. He started laughing.

"Your eyes, they are gray. Yesterday they were blue, Butterfly Eyes." He said turning to his father who had just entered the room he said, "This is who I will marry father her and her alone."

It looks like she didn't need her glass shoes after all.

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**Plz review!!! I beg you to!! Criticism is welcome!! Rember there is a limit to how much one can take though!! p**


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